20. Practical Exam

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When all the candidates were focused on the last open-ended question, Chris spent five minutes writing a Breeder plan for the ordinary Nosepass.

He copied it almost word-for-word from Roxanne's Breeder Handbook.

Without overthinking, it felt like he was simply transcribing.

Putting down his pen, Chris looked around. There was still time left in the exam.

After some thought, Chris picked up the pen again and wrote another Breeder plan for Nosepass.

This second one was based on information he learned from the Internet. For example, Nosepass is a Rock-type Pokémon, and its nose always points north due to magnetism. Because of this, it has also learned some Electric-type moves. This plan was much more structured and disciplined.

After all, Roxanne's handbook was from a different world.

If something went wrong, at least he had a backup plan. They never said he could only submit one.

When the second plan was finished, most of the candidates had already completed the last question. For those who were still writing, time was running out.

After more than ten minutes, the written test ended.

Everyone stood up and headed to the next exam room.

A group of students grumbled on the way.

"Why did we have to write a Breeder plan for an unpopular Pokémon like Nosepass? All I've studied recently are the plans for the starter Pokémon."

"Exactly. I thought Dragon University's exams would be tougher. I usually read the Breeder records for Dragon-type Pokémon."

"By the way, what's the point of that question about Torchic eating stones? I was stuck on that for ages."

"That was easy. Torchic swallows stones to help with digestion and to increase the heat of its flames."

"Oh no, I wrote that Torchic uses it to build resistance to Rock-type moves."

"You must be kidding me."

The chatter around him made Chris feel like he was back in high school, taking a monthly test, a midterm exam, or even a final.

The next exam room was in the "Battle Zone," where the focus would be on Pokémon battles.

Unlike the written exam, the battle test couldn't accommodate all the students at once.

So, the practical test was conducted in batches.

Chris's exam number was 160, meaning he was the one hundred and sixtieth candidate to take the battle test.

There were a total of forty test rooms, with forty students battling at the same time, so Chris would be in the last group of the fourth batch.

The pace was quite efficient.

Most of the candidates for Dragon University were fresh graduates, and they had only had their Pokémon for a month or two. Their Pokémon were relatively weak, and the trainers were still inexperienced, so advanced tactics were out of the question.

Even so, the test started at 9:00 a.m., and by 10:00 a.m., it was Chris's turn to enter the exam room.

He was randomly assigned to Battlefield 24. When he walked in, he saw a referee standing by and, on the opposite side, a senior student in a school uniform. She had a sweet smile, with dimples appearing on her cheeks when she grinned.

"Junior, please give your admission ticket to the referee, and we'll begin the match," the senior said in a softer tone, her smile brightening when she noticed Chris.

"Okay, Senior Sister," Chris quickly replied, hurrying over to hand the admission ticket to the referee.

The referee scanned the admission ticket with a machine, and Chris returned to his trainer position.

"The Dragon University Entrance Examination—Pokémon Combat Section—is now beginning! Both the examiner and the candidate may use one Pokémon each. When one side's Pokémon is incapacitated, the battle will be over!" the referee announced.

"Now, both trainers, please send out your Pokémon!"

The senior took out a Poké Ball from her bag, waiting for Chris to do the same.

However, Chris hadn't taken out his Poké Ball yet.

"Don't be nervous, junior. Even if you lose, the referee and I will still evaluate your and your Pokémon's performance. You can still score highly!" the senior reassured him kindly.

"Okay," Chris nodded. But he wasn't nervous—he was just deciding which Pokémon to use for this battle.

"Alright then, let's have a proper battle."

Chris selected his third Poké Ball and threw it at the same time as his senior.

Two Pokémon appeared on the field.

The senior's Pokémon was a small blue duck—Ducklett, a Water and Flying-type Pokémon. Female trainers often adored it because its final evolution is the elegant Swanna.

It was clear the senior was a Swanna enthusiast; her Ducklett even had a small flower on its head, making it look particularly charming.

Chris, on the other hand, sent out Ralts. After several days of training, Ralts had reached level 18, the same as his Combusken and Frogadier, just two levels shy of evolving into Kirlia.

"WHAT!!!"

A sudden scream rang out, making Chris want to cover his ears.

He looked up to see the senior's eyes sparkling with excitement.

"A Shiny Ralts!!!"

Her outburst was full of deep envy and admiration.

"He wins! I give full marks!" she declared, pointing at Ralts and shouting toward the referee.

"Please! The battle hasn't even started yet!" the referee reminded her, a bit helpless. Sure, Shiny Ralts were rare, but was this reaction really necessary?

If the senior knew what the referee was thinking, she would likely scold him on the spot.

Not necessary? Of course, it is!

Ralts, with its powerful abilities and beautiful appearance, was already a highly sought-after Pokémon, considered by many to be on par with pseudo-legendary Pokémon.

For female trainers, especially those interested in the Contest circuit, Ralts was a Pokémon that one would never trade away.

And a Shiny Ralts? That was on another level entirely!

In a Contest, just sending out a Shiny Ralts was like playing a trump card—its beauty alone was enough to guarantee a high score.

"Ahem, examiner, please control your emotions. If you like the Pokémon, you can admire it after the battle," the referee reminded the senior again.

The senior restrained herself slightly, but her eyes and body still showed her overwhelming admiration for Ralts—she looked like she wanted to snatch it up right there and then.

"Ra... Ralts..." The little Pokémon glanced timidly at Chris. The other trainer's gaze was intense and, honestly, a bit scary.

Chris quickly reassured it, "Don't worry, we just need to focus on the battle."

With both trainers ready, the referee confirmed the starting positions and gave the order.

"Battle begin!"